Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep
by TinkerBella7
Summary: So AinsleyWright suggested I take a comment from my WIRED story about Lisbon and Mac over dosing on Coffee and do a story. Here It is. Friendship and stuff to follow. The usual.


**FLASHBACK to LISBON approximately 3 1/2 years ago.**

Mac twisted the last paperclip into place before sitting down on the couch and staring at his creation on the coffee table. It had taken him only 3 hours to finish so he was feeling pretty proud of himself, but he wasn't so wrapped up in his work that he didn't feel another presence in the room. "Morning, Jack," MacGyver drawled.

"That's damn impressive kid," Jack said, as he walked around the coffee table, studying the paper clip replica of a pyramid. "Please tell me you weren't up all night making this."

"Nah. It only took me three hours," Mac countered, purposefully not directly answering the question.

Jack looked relieved but then he frowned, eyeing Mac with suspicion. "So you did get a few hours sleep?"

Mac winced, then shrugged, trying not to look guilty and failing.

"Did you sleep at all?" Jack demanded.

"I couldn't sleep." MacGyver knew that was no point in lying to his friend. "I read a couple of books, so I rested. Sort of. I'll sleep when we get home."

They had completed their mission here, but because the private plane DXS had sent to take them home had a mechanical issue that would take ten to twelve hours to fix, Thornton had set them up for the night in a hotel so they could get some rest. The team had gone without sleep for twenty-four hours straight, so Nikki and Jack had been thrilled to stay over, but Mac had been too hyped up on caffeine, thanks to the over a dozen cups of coffee he had imbibed during the course of the mission. Jack had finally cut him off, but too late for it to work out of Mac's system. Even now, going on thirty-six hours with no sleep, Mac was still buzzing. He knew when he did crash he'd be out for a while, so he figured he might as well ride it out until he was home in his own bed.

Jack sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. "Just looking at you is making me tired, so I'm going to go on a donut run. You want anything? And, before you ask, NO coffee."

"Poppy seed bagel with cream cheese," Mac requested before asking, hopefully, "And maybe a small coffee?"

"No coffee." Jack held firm. "But...before I forget, Happy Birthday, Mac. So how does it feel to be twenty-one?"

Mac considered the question, with the seriousness that he knew Jack felt it deserved, but then he shrugged. "Feels exactly like twenty felt."

Jack clapped him on the shoulder. "Wait till we get back...and you've slept for a day. I'm going to take you out for your first legal drink."

"You're not getting me drunk, Jack," Mac warned him, because he knew that was exactly where his friend was going.

"We'll talk about it when I get back." Jack checked for his wallet, then offered a wave before heading out the door.

Unable to keep still, MacGyver went to work on another paperclip pyramid, this one half the size.

Jack found the nearby coffee shop and he flirted with the girl behind the counter while he waited for his order. Bag of goodies in one hand, his black coffee in the other, Jack exited the shop. He whistled tunelessly as he made his way back to the hotel. Feeling a sudden sting in his neck, Jack slapped a hand against it, expecting to see a bug. What he felt was something thin and solid. Cursing, Jack dropped the bag as he plucked a tiny dart out of his skin. Before he could do more than blink at it, darkness washed over him and Jack hit the pavement like a stone.

He didn't see a small crowd hover over him, or the man claiming to be a doctor who stuffed him in a car, telling the bystanders that he would take him to the hospital.

The next thing Jack was aware of was a musty smell and aching limbs. He shifted his body, eyes flying open as he realized he couldn't move. There was a good reason for that too, he was tied to a chair, thick rope wrapped tightly around each limb. His arms were tied from wrist to elbow to the arms of the chair and his legs were tied to the legs from knee to ankle. He could feel more rope wrapped around his waist, binding him to the back of the chair, but what bothered him more was the fact that he was wearing a vest that had sticks of dynamite and a timer strapped to it.

"So not good," Jack muttered, as he gazed around, hoping to recognize his surroundings. But all he could discern was that he was in a cell like room, no windows, leading him to believe he was underground. Which sucked. Not as much as being strapped to a bomb sucked, but still.

"Long time no see, Dalton," drawled an accented voice. A very familiar, accented voice.

Jack turned his head in the direction of the sound, but although he could detect the outline of a body, it was too dark and shadowy to see a face. "Hiding in dark places like the rodent you are...Choi?"

Moving into the dim light, the man named Choi was smiling. "You know I prefer to be called by my code name, Jack."

"What was it again?" Jack pretended to struggle to remember. "Was it Agent A? No. Mmmm...Agent P? Nope...that wasn't it." A punch to the jaw interrupted Jack's guessing. He felt his lip split and tasted the coppery tang of blood. He spit in Choi's direction, offering a bloody grin. "That the best you got...Agent X?"

"You're awfully cheerful for a man with a bomb strapped to his chest", Choi countered. "Why is that?"

Jack shrugged, as best he could considering his bonds. "I'm just a happy go lucky kind of guy." In truth he wasn't about to show Choi how worried he was. The ex-CIA agent was dangerous.

Ten years ago Jack had been partnered with him for almost a year and they had made a good team. Until Leah. She had been one of the best agents Jack had ever worked with and they had flirted with each other, but Choi had fallen in love with her. Jack had respected Choi's feelings, even though he had fallen a bit in love with Leah himself. But a mission had gone bad and Leah had died and Choi had blamed Jack for her death.

Things might have sorted themselves out, except Choi had gone off the deep end, going rogue and Jack had been sent to bring him in. In the end he'd been forced to shoot Choi, who had fallen and rolled down a mountainside, only to disappear. Jack would have preferred the man had stayed missing, but he did have more important things to worry about right now.

"You know why you're here, don't you, Jack?" Choi queried.

"Leah." No reason to pretend he didn't know. Jack nodded to the vest he was wearing. "So this is it? You blow me up? Seems kind of anti-climatic."

Choi laughed before clicking something that made the lights come up and revealed a side of the room Jack hadn't been able to see before. There was a table against one wall with several laptops hooked together forming a larger screen.

Jack wasn't sure what he was looking at. "We're going to watch a movie before you kill me?" He was stalling for time in the hopes that Mac would figure out he was missing and come looking for him, ASAP. What bothered Jack the most at the moment was not knowing how much time had gone by since Choi had grabbed him.

"The movie of your life," Choi stated. "Or what's left of it. Killing you outright wouldn't be much fun, so I'm going to give you a chance to live. Not that you deserve it, but I'm feeling somewhat generous now that I know I'll have my revenge."

"Good on you," Jack drawled. "So what's my chance?" No matter what it was, he figured the odds were stacked against him. Still, Jack liked to know what he was up against.

Pulling out a cell phone, Choi tapped out a message then sent it. "How much do you trust your friend, MacGyver?"

Jack felt anger wash over him, and he struggled against his bindings, even though he knew it was useless. "You leave him out of this! Do you hear me?" Sure he was hoping Mac would come rescue him, but by figuring out where Jack was and calling in the cavalry.

"He's a part of this because of you, Jack," Choi countered, moving to stand before him with a sneer of hatred on his face. "But I'm not going to kill him. He's an innocent, just like Leah was. Besides, your MacGyver is just a child. He's barely legal to drink. Think about it, Jack. Your life rests in the hands of a child." Choi looked beyond amused at the thought.

"Maybe so." Jack could see the irony of it, or he would if it had been anyone else they were talking about. He smirked at Choi. "See, the thing is, that *so-called* child is the smartest person I've ever met. If you're sincere about giving me a chance to live, and MacGyver is on my team, then I'm golden."

Choi was not impressed. "I've done my homework, Jack. I know how smart he is. But as we both know, sometimes it's not about how smart you are, it's about experience and wisdom. That *child* hasn't lived long enough to possess either."

Jack remembered his first time meeting Mac, and at the time he had felt much the same way Choi did how. But he had quickly learned that MacGyver was unique, unlike anyone Jack had ever met. Since then he had come to enjoy watching people underestimate the kid. The fall out was always entertaining.

So Jack felt justified in feeling smug as he stated, "You keep telling yourself that, Choi. You have never experienced anyone like MacGyver. He'll come rescue me, and when he does I'm going to end you."

"Let us begin then, shall we?" Choi didn't look the least bit intimidated as his phone buzzed and he checked it. "MacGyver is ready play. Let's see if he's really as smart as you think he is. He'll have to be to keep you alive."

"What's the game, Choi?" Jack demanded, because being it was his life on the line and the fact that Mac had gotten pulled into this, he needed to know what was happening.

Choi moved to the table with the laptops and tapped a key. "I'll give you a clue. Riddle me this, Batman."

Jack frowned. He loved Batman movies, but it didn't give him much to go on. "You know what, Choi, I'm going to cut to the chase. What the hell are you talking about?"

"Watch the screen, Jack." Choi pointed to the monitors. "The object of the game came to me in a dream. Remember the third Die Hard movie? Knowing what a huge Bruce Willis fan you are, I know you do. So pay attention and you'll figure it out soon." With that Choi turned his own attention to the monitors, letting silence fall between them.

Mac was beginning to wonder if Jack had gotten lost. He had figured the pastry run wouldn't have taken any longer than thirty minutes, but when more than double that time had passed, he started to get concerned. When another hour tacked itself on, Mac was ready to wake up Nikki when his phone buzzed. He yanked it out of his pocket only to frown at the unknown number. His frown turned into a scowl when he read the message.

YOU HAVE FIFTEEN MINUTES TO MAKE IT TO THE FLOWER STAND ON MARIT STREET OR JACK DALTON DIES. TELL NO ONE OR HE DIES ANYWAY.

After reading the message three times, MacGyver propelled himself into action. His gut instinct told him this wasn't some prank, so he grabbed his jacket and ran out the door. He knew where Marit street was, and it would take him twelve minutes to get there at a run. Ignoring the elevator for the stairs, MacGyver paused just long enough to set the timer on his watch, then he raced down the stairs and out into the street.

With exactly three minutes to spare, Mac reached the flower stand. He was still trying to catch his breath when his phone rang. "Hello..." MacGyver gasped. "I'm here."

"Well done, MacGyver," Choi drawled. "

"Who are you?" Mac demanded. "What have you done with Jack? I want to talk to him." He would have blurted out more questions and demands, but the man on the other end cut him off.

Amused despite himself, Choi stated, "Who I am is not important, you need only know that Jack Dalton's life rests in my hands. Do as I tell you and he'll live."

MacGyver had been listening intently, hoping that he might recognize the man's voice, to give him a clue who he was dealing with, but it wasn't familiar. So he also listened for background noise, but there was nothing but an echoing silence. "How do I know you even have Jack?" He had to make sure this wasn't a set up or a trap. If this maniac had Jack, MacGyver would do whatever it took to get him back, but first Mac wanted proof. "Let me talk to him."

"Say *hi* to your friend, Jack." Choi held out the phone, knowing that Jack was loud enough to be heard.

"No," Jack whispered, careful not to be heard. He wasn't about to drag the kid into this mess. He wanted MacGyver to find him, but not like this. Not by luring him into Choi's lair.

Choi covered the phone then moved to Jack and spoke into his ear. "Say*hi* to your friend, MacGyver," or I press the button and you and hundreds...maybe thousands...of innocent people die with you."

Which Jack took to realize that where ever he was, hundreds of people were nearby. He couldn't put them at risk. Scowling, he nodded. "Fine...I'll talk." When Choi held out the phone again, Jack obediently spoke. "Hey, Mac. How's things?"

"Jack?" MacGyver felt relief wash over him at the sound of his friend's voice. "Are you okay?"

"I'm great, kid. Never better." Jack would not let on otherwise, because the kid had enough to deal with right now. It was up to MacGyver to save the world again...so to speak.

Choi walked away, speaking directly into the phone again. "So the game goes like this, MacGyver. I send you somewhere and you have to make it to the location within the allotted time, or Jack goes boom. You then solve the riddle you find and move on to the next location. If at any time you're late, or you don't solve the riddle in the time frame given, or you get it wrong, Jack goes boom. You will have five riddles to solve before you earn the address of his location."

MacGyver caught on quick. "And if I guess them all and it leads me to Jack...what then? You just let him go?"

"Not exactly." Choi was more than looking forward to the confrontation that was to come. "There will be one more riddle and a code. Solve the riddle and punch in the correct code, along with a password, then the bomb will be disarmed, Jack gets to live and you'll both be free to go."

"But you don't expect that to happen, do you?" Mac was no fool. He didn't wait for a reply before asking the burning question. "Why are you doing this?"

Choi paused a moment before replying, "Why is between myself and Jack. If you save him, he can tell you himself. Now...tick tock...MacGyver. I'm going to text you the next address and you'll have twenty minutes to get there." With that he hung up, typed in the text and hit send.

Mac cursed as he read the text, taking a look at his surroundings before bringing up the GPS on his phone. Once he had the address, he took off at a run. Reaching the location was challenging, but he had a feeling that was going to be the easy part. He wasn't to see find himself facing a wall marked with graffiti. There was a spot with words rather than pictures, and he knew he was looking at the riddle he had to solve.

WHAT HAS 13 HEARTS BUT NO OTHER ORGANS?

Even as he read it, Mac received another text. He opened it to find a countdown clock. 45 seconds and counting. He didn't sweat it. He knew the answer to this one. Without hesitation he texted back *a deck of playing cards*. His phone rang immediately.

"Well done," Choi drawled. "But I was being easy on you. Four more to go. There is a bridge in the park at Ruane. Fifteen minutes." He hung up.

"Dammit!" Mac hissed, even as he typed in Ruane to his GPS. At being told to head East, MacGyver set off at a run.

He reached the bridge with about two minutes to spare and it took a moment to find the riddle. It was scrawled in chalk on the underside of the arch of the bridge. Mac actually sat on the ground to look up and read it.

THE MAN WHO INVENTED IT DOESN'T WANT IT. THE MAN WHO BOUGHT IT DOESN'T NEED IT. THE MAN WHO NEEDS IT DOESN'T KNOW IT. WHAT IS IT?

"I know this...I know this..." Mac scrubbed his fingers through his hair as he forced his muddled mind to sort through all the useless information he had stored in there. It would have been easier if he hadn't been up for over 36 hours and his caffeine buzz wasn't fizzling out. Suddenly it hit him and he almost crowed as he texted the answer.

*A coffin*

His phone rang and when MacGyver answered it he said, with more than a hint of smugness, "You're going to have to try harder if you want it to be a challenge." Which probably wasn't the smartest thing he'd ever done

Choi laughed, a cold and bitter sound. "Trust me when I say that it will get progressively more difficult. Time is still ticking, you'd best be on your way." Hanging up, Choi turned to Jack, who's eyes were locked on the video monitors. There were cameras at each location, so they could see MacGyver as he worked out the riddles. "You're partner looks like he's getting tired."

"Mac will be just fine," Jack countered, even though he was worried about the kid. No sleep and now he was running all over the place and having to figure out damn riddles all the while knowing Jack's life was at stake. Talk about pressure. Forcing a smirk, Jack drawled, "You should worry about what I'm going to do to you once I'm free."

"The child is smart," Choi allowed. "But he will never figure out all the riddles. He might not even make it to the next location on time and BOOM. You'll be in pieces."

Jack was really trying hard not to think about that possibility. However, he did have another concern. "You said before that thousands of other people could die if I blow up. You're not serious, are you? I get you want me dead, but innocent people aren't a part of this."

Choi looked unconcerned. "I guess you'd best hope MacGyver comes through then." That said he turned his attention back to the monitors.

The next location was one MacGyver was familiar with. He was heading back into the city and because he figured out a shortcut he actually had ten minutes to spare. So when he passed by a coffee shop he ducked inside and ordered a large triple expresso. Jack would be furious with him, but he wasn't in a position to complain. Especially if the caffeine helped Mac to keep his energy up and his mind clear and focused.

Expresso in hand, MacGyver headed back onto the street and two minutes later he was at the location. A large fountain in the middle of the square. People bustled around him, ignoring Mac as he circled the fountain in search of the riddle. He was running out of time now and he was starting to panic when he caught sight of something in the bottom of the fountain. Black lettering that was slightly blurred but still legible.

REMOVING ONE FROM ELEVEN MAKES IT TEN AND REMOVING ONE FROM NINE MAKES IT TEN. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE?

Muttering to himself, Mac chugged down his expresso as he paced around the fountain. He weaved in and out around passerby, one eye on the count down clock on his phone. Then it hit him and he sat down on the edge of the fountain, his - now empty - coffee cup dropped by his feet. He texted the answer as quickly as he could.

*In Roman Numerals 9 = IX 10 = X 11 = X  
Thus by removing one from 9, you are getting 10 and by removing one from 11, you are getting 10 again*

When his phone rang, MacGyver answered it simply by saying, "What's next?" He hung up then opened the text that immediately followed. Jumping to his feet, he took off running.

Jack exhaled slowly as he watched Mac heading away from the fountain. Three more riddles to go. Two more before the kid got his location. He had complete faith in that MacGyver would solve all the riddles and he would be free. He flexed the muscles in his arms and legs, trying to keep them from going numb through lack of circulation. Jack was no fool. He knew Choi wasn't going to just give up and let him go once MacGyver solved all his riddles and codes. No matter what went down, Jack was going to be ready.

He looked at Choi. "What happened to you, man? I get that you were devastated when Leah died. That was a tragedy and I would give anything if I could turn back time and save her. But she knew the risks, and she died so that innocent people could live. So here you are, ready to kill innocent lives. What you're doing is disrespectful to her memory."

"Shut up!" Choi exploded, lunging at Jack and back-handing him across the face.

"Nice shot," Jack complimented, after using his tongue to check that no teeth were loosened. "But killing me and thousands of innocent people won't bring Leah back. If you feel you have to kill me, then have at it. But don't hurt anyone else, man." Jack didn't want to die, but he would trade his life, without hesitation, if Choi would let innocents live."

Choi leaned in over Jack, his voice a harsh whisper. "Nothing you say to me will change the game, Jack. We're in play and your life, and all those innocents you're worried about, rest in MacGyver's fragile little hands."

Jack chuckled, ignoring the pain of his split lip. "Here's the thing, Choi. There's nothing fragile about MacGyver, and when he's done kicking your ass with his brain, I'm going to kick it again with my foot."

"These are your final moments, Jack," Choi replied, looking unconvinced. "Believe what you must to get through them." He moved back to the video screens, phone in hand, looking serene.

On his way to the next location, Mac passed by another coffee shop. He didn't hesitate to back track and ordered another triple expresso to go. In under a minute he was back on his quest and he arrived in the alleyway with thirty seconds to spare. The riddle was scrawled across a trash bin in dripping, red, letters that looked like blood.

MANY HAVE HEARD ME, BUT NOBODY HAS SEEN ME, AND I WILL NOT SPEAK BACK UNTIL SPOKEN TO. WHAT AM I?

Mac glanced at the clock countdown and he gasped to realize he only had fifteen seconds to text the answer. He took a long drink of his expresso, reread the riddle and typed in *an echo* before he could stop himself. He was so tired at the moment, yet so buzzed on caffeine that his body felt like it weighed a ton and his mind felt clear, but like it was on a ten second delay.

So he was relieved when his phone rang. "One more riddle then you tell me where Jack is," Mac hissed. He wanted to gloat but that seemed tactless and most likely it would likely antagonize the bad guy, so Mac refrained. "Give me the next one." The sooner he solved it, the sooner Jack would be free.

"Good luck," Choi offered, although he wasn't the least bit sincere or concerned. He hung up then texted the next address.

As Mac headed to the next location, he finished his expresso, mourning the empty cup as he tossed it into a nearby trash receptacle. Since he just happened to be passing by another coffee shop, he didn't even try to talk himself out of getting one more triple expresso. As he sipped the rich and bitter brew, Mac swore he could feel the caffeine kick start his brain and his body. He weaved in and around people at just short of a run, reaching the last location. He stared at the pawn shop entrance before shrugging and going inside. There was no one at the counter and no customers, which MacGyver thought should concern him but he let it go, focused on the riddle written on the front of one of the glass display cases.

HOW CAN YOU PLACE A PENCIL ON THE FLOOR SO THAT NO ONE CAN JUMP OVER IT?

Mac read the riddle and realized he only had ten seconds to text the answer. The bad guy wasn't playing fair, leaving him with pretty much no time to even consider the answer and barely any time to type it in. But, luckily, Mac knew this one, so without even having to think about it he sent off the answer.

*put it against a wall*

There was a long, and agonizing, moment of silence where Mac feared he typed the wrong thing, when his phone rang and relief washed over him strong enough to make him dizzy. Or maybe it was the caffeine overload that was making him dizzy. He didn't really care, he just wanted Jack's location so they could wrap this up and go home.

"Where is Jack?" Mac demanded.

"I must say I'm impressed, MacGyver," Choi said, even though he was still confidant that the young agent would, ultimately, never succeed and he would get his revenge with Jack's death. "But this is the final round. The end is near." With that Choi hung up so he could text the final location.

Mac read it, frowned as he read it again, then he took off running, his expresso clutched carefully in one hand.

Jack felt like they were in the home stretch, but he wasn't so focused on his relief that he didn't notice that Choi was packing gear into a duffle bag, which he zipped closed. "Going somewhere?" Jack queried.

"I am." Choi was smiling, because soon he would get what he came here for. Revenge. MacGyver had gotten farther than Choi had ever expected him too, but in the end it didn't matter. The kid would never figure out the code and the password. It wouldn't be long now and Jack would be dead and Choi would finally feel as if justice had been served. "I'll be watching from a safe location."

"Why not keep your front row seat?" Jack taunted. "MacGyver will be here any minute and it'll all be over. You don't have to run away. There won't be any boom."

Choi laughed coldly. "Your faith in your young partner is admirable, Jack, but this is the end of the road for you. Soon you will be rotting in hell." With that Choi grabbed the bag and headed off.

Jack was glad the lights were left on, as well as the monitors. He closed his eyes and prayed, figuring that Mac would appreciate all the help he could get.

Mac stood on the steps of the Church, staring at his phone. Along with the text was a picture, an image of Jack tied to a chair wearing a vest with the bomb attached to it. Another text appeared with instructions for Mac to enter the church and take the back stairs to the basement. What bothered him, even as he entered and made his way to the stairs, was that the church, and the surrounding neighborhood, were swarming with people. If he failed in his task, it wasn't just Jack who would lose his life. Hundreds of innocent people would die as well.

Racing to the bottom of the stairs, Mac continued following direction, moving down a dimly-lit hallway until he reached a heavy wooden door. He entered and made his way down another flight of stairs and down another hallway until he reached another wooden door.

Opening this door, Mac found himself in a large room, at the center of which sat Jack. Racing over to it, Mac glanced at the video monitors and realized he'd been putting on a show. He put that to the back of his mind as reached the chair.

"Hi, Jack," MacGyver offered in greeting, as he walked around the chair studying how Jack was tied, looking over the bomb on the vest and finally seeking out the last riddle. It was carved into the back of the chair.

"Good to see you, kid," Jack replied. "You've been doing a great job with those riddles. I'm not going to lie, I would have gone boom after the first one if it was up to me to figure them out."

MacGyver glanced at the countdown clock and was surprised to see he had five minutes to figure out the riddle. "They weren't that hard," he said, frowning as he read the riddle again - for the third time.

IF A CAR WAS GOING 80 MILES AN HOUR, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO GO 80 MILES?

The answer was so obvious and so easy that Mac felt it had to be a trick.

"What's wrong, Mac?" Jack didn't have to see the kid to know something was up.

"Nothing's wrong." Mac read the riddle one last time then moved to stand in front of Jack. "It's just...the riddle is so easy it can't be right."

Jack decided he didn't want to know what it was, at this point in the game he would second guess himself more than he knew Mac was already doing. "Just go with what you know and answer it."

So, after setting down his - once again - empty coffee cup, MacGyver did just that, tapping out, *one hour*. He almost jumped when a familiar voice came out from the video monitors and an image filled each screen.

"Well done," the man said.

"That's Choi," Jack whispered. "I used to work with him. Long story...tell you later." He could say that because he knew he would be getting out of this alive.

MacGyver just nodded, eyes locked on the screen.

Choi was smiling. "I bet you're wondering why the riddle was so easy, MacGyver. Here's the thing, I thought it would throw you off guard a bit, but mostly I thought I'd give you false hope." Choi's smile turned to a cold smirk. "The riddle was simple, but the code and the password are not. You're so close, MacGyver, but so very far indeed."

"Ignore him," Jack spoke up. "Choi always did like hearing the sound of his own voice."

"Laugh while you can, Jack." Leaning closer so that his face filled the video screens in looming detail, Choi stated, "In the moment before you die, remember everything that's happened today, Jack. Think about all the death and destruction to come and know that it's all about you, Jack. You did this. No one but you." With that Choi signed off, the screens turning black.

It was not a good sign and Jack couldn't lie to himself. For the first time since this whole game started, he was starting to feel nervous. "So, Mac..." he looked at the kid who was kneeling in front of him, eyes on the bomb. "What's the code?"

MacGyver stood up and started pacing. "Good question. It's a five digit number."

"Five digits?" Jack wracked his brain. "So not a birthdate or something like that. A zip code?"

"Too random." Mac didn't know how he knew that, he just did.

Jack was started to get seriously nervous. "How much time do we have?"

Mac glanced at his phone. "90 seconds and counting." He considered and rejected option after option, his brain filtering through the possibilities.

"Start guessing, my friend," Jack prompted.

"Guessing is not an option." Mac knew they had one shot at this and one shot only. "The numbers have to mean something." Even as he spoke a random image flittered through his head. "Wait! There numbers with the riddles."

Jack frowned. "What do you mean?" He had seen the riddles on the monitors and he didn't remember any numbers.

Mac stopped in front of Jack, but closed his eyes, concentrating. "I remember the first number, number 1. I thought he was numbering the riddles until I got to the second one and the number by it wasn't a 2."

"Do you remember the numbers?" Jack would have crossed his fingers if he could have.

"I do." Mac let them run through his head.

Jack studied his friend, almost seeing the gears turning in Mac's ginormous brain. "Guess having an Isaac memory is coming in handy today."

Mac chuckled, shaking his head at his friend. "Eidetic memory, Jack. And, actually, my perfect recall is what's helping right now. Without wasting another second, Mac punched the number 1-7-4-8-3 into the keypad. He couldn't hold back a shudder of relief when the green light faded out, but four dashes appeared on the tiny screen instead, the prompt for the password. It wasn't over yet.

"What now?" Jack asked.

"Password," Mac reminded him. "Four letters."

Jack almost laughed out loud. "That one's easy. Leah. Type in Leah. I'll explain more later, but that's what this whole thing has been about. A woman named Leah. L-E-A-H," Jack spelled out. "Go on, Mac. Type it in. I'm guessing the clock is ticking down?"

He wasn't wrong. Mac glanced at his phone and the new countdown had twenty seconds left. He reached out to type in LEAH then paused.

"What are you waiting for?" Panic was starting to rise in Jack. He wasn't about to die when rescue was so close. "Type in Leah!"

"It's not Leah." MacGyver didn't have time to explain how he knew, he just did. So, ignoring Jack's desperate pleas, Mac typed in J-A-C-K and held his breath while he waited. A second later the screen went black and the lights on the device went dark. MacGyver disconnected the wiring then, without hesitation, he pulled out his Swiss army knife and began sawing through the ropes binding his friend to the chair.

Jack was thrilled to have his arms free, and he rubbed at them to restore circulation. He wanted to rip the vest off, but knew enough to wait for MacGyver to do it, since the kid was a bomb expert and all. Once his legs were free, Jack let Mac help him to stand, then he stood still while the vest was removed and put aside.

Moving stiffly, Jack tried to work the kinks out of his body, all the while watching MacGyver who was bouncing around the room. It was obvious the kid was buzzing. Jack spotted the coffee cup on the floor and had to ask. "How much coffee did you drink?"

"Enough to stay awake to save your ass," MacGyver shot back, instantly on the defensive.

"And how many cups does it take to save my ass?" Jack returned, determined to get an answer. A glance at his watch and it shocked him to realize that eight hours had passed since he'd gone on his coffee run. On the one hand it seemed like at least twice that much time had passed, but on the other hand it didn't seem possible that only eight hours had gone by. Ultimately, what it meant to Jack, was that MacGyver had been awake for almost two days.

Still buzzing around the room, Mac stopped in front of the laptops, checking each one to make certain they weren't wired to go boom. He disassembled them quickly, relieved that they weren't booby-trapped, but he left them in pieces just to make certain. He started to make another circuit of the room when he found his way blocked by Jack's solid bulk. The other man was glaring at him and Mac realized he hadn't answered Jack's question yet. "I dunno, I lost count," he said.

Jack snorted. "Nice try. You never lose count. How many?" He wasn't going to move until he got his answer.

"Three triple expresso's," Mac confessed.

"Three triple expresso's?" Jack echoed, dumb founded. At Mac's nod he started herding his young friend towards the door. "We need to go. When you crash, you're going to crash hard and it's going to be fast and furious." Jack chuckled at his own wit. "See what I did there?"

MacGyver punched him in the shoulder. Hard.

Jack yelped, rubbing the sore spot. "Ow! What was that for?"

"You know how I feel about puns." Mac scowled at his friend.

"When you get older, and wiser, you'll appreciate my puns," Jack groused. He grabbed MacGyver by the arm and pulled him out the door. The kid was nearly vibrating from his caffeine buzz. It wasn't going to be pretty when he finally crashed. "By the way...thanks for the save. I warned Choi that he couldn't stop you from rescuing me."

MacGyver smirked. "It's what I do. Is it weird that it was kinda fun? I like riddles. It's weird, isn't it? I mean, if you hadn't been in danger of blowing up it wouldn't be weird at all but - " Jack's hand over his mouth cut Mac off in mid-ramble.

Jack chuckled even as he man-handled MacGyver up the first set of stairs. "You have no off-switch when your buzzed, do you? Getting you drunk is going to be a hoot." He would have continued but a tongue licking over his palm made him shudder, and Jack released the kid to wipe his hand off on his jeans. "That was gross."

"You're gross," MacGyver taunted, before frowning at how childish that sounded. Only to decide he really didn't care. "Beat you to the street!" he challenged, racing up the stairs even as he spoke.

"Dammit, Mac!" Jack cursed, before running after him. He caught up to the kid before they reached the main floor. The church was like a maze and Jack figured it would have probably taken him a while to get out on his own. As they entered the main hall and light filtered through the windows, Jack raised his face the warmth, relishing the heat. He hadn't realized how cool it had been in the dark, dank basement until now.

When they reached the street, the side walks were teaming with people. Probably because it was late afternoon and they were leaving work. It occurred to Jack that Nikki would be freaking out by now and he patted his pockets in search of his phone.

Mac grinned and held it out to him. "Choi left it on the table next to the lap tops. He turned it off."

"Thanks." Jack was quick to power it back on. "I'm surprised Nikki hasn't been frantically trying to call us."

"After Choi's first text, I texted her and told her we were out on business and that we'd meet up in time to fly home," Mac explained. "Oh, which reminds me...I forgot to tell you that we aren't leaving until midnight. The plane wasn't fixed yet because a defective part needed to be replaced. Thornton called me." Mac paused, trying to decide if that sounded out of order or not, only to decide he really didn't care.

Jack frowned. "So you and I are the only ones who knew this whole scenario was happening with Choi?"

Mac nodded. "Yep. I didn't want to involve anyone else."

"Smart thinking." Jack approved.

"That's what they pay me for," Mac quipped. "Hey...I'm hungry. Are you hungry? There's a pastry shop just down the block. I passed it on my way to the rescue you." With that MacGyver made to take off.

Jack was ready for him. He snagged Mac by the belt and hauled him back. "Hold up there, speedy," he drawled. "No sugar for you."

MacGyver pouted at him. An honest to goodness pout. "I'm hungry and I just saved your life, Jack. Buy me food!"

"I'll buy you all the food you can eat," Jack was quick to promise. "So long as there's no sugar or caffeine in it." He let Mac go and snagged his phone. "I need to call Nikki for a pick up. No way I'm walking all the way back to the hotel." In truth he had no idea where they were or how far, or close, the hotel actually was. Given how his luck was going today, Jack figured it was probably too far to walk."

"It's not that far," MacGyver informed him, as he turned in a circle, eyes roving the block. He wanted food and he wanted it now.

Jack texted Nikki that he needed a pick up. She called back and asked where he was and laughed when he said he didn't know. So she assured him she could locate him via his cell phone GPS. Jack heard her typing on her laptop and a moment later Nikki replied she would be there in about twenty minutes.

That done, Jack figured he'd best contact Thornton and let her know about Choi. He filled her in as briefly as he could, reassuring her that he and Mac were fine, but that Choi was still on the loose and needed to be caught ASAP. Thornton assured Jack she would send agents to round Choi up, after he gave her his last known location.

"Patty, I know we're supposed to leave at Midnight...but as soon as MacGyver crashes I'm going to shower then head out to hunt down Choi myself."

"What do you mean *after MacGyver crashes*?" Thornton countered. "What happened to him?"

Jack snorted. "Three triple expresso's and going without sleep for 48 hours," he replied. "Hell of a 21st birthday weekend." Looking around, Jack realized he had lost sight of Mac. "Patty, could you hold on for a second? I need to go round up MacGyver." With that he took off running, catching sight of the kid up ahead and ducking into what turned out to be a Pawn shop. Not a good place for someone like MacGyver. He was like a kid in a candy store in places like that.

Running in right behind him, Jack snagged MacGyver by wrapping his hand around the back of his belt.

"Let go!" MacGyver hissed, trying to twist free and cursing when Jack wouldn't let go.

"Behave!" Jack held on tight and planted his feet as MacGyver continued to struggle. Ignoring him, Jack returned to his phone call. "Sorry about that, Patricia."

She sighed in his ear. "Is MacGyver okay?"

Jack considered the question as he yanked the kid towards him. "Not really, but he will be. I'll take good care of him. Cross my heart." They both knew he would do just that, because that's what Jack did. He took care of MacGyver in whatever way was needed. Although, for the most part, the kid took care of himself. There were exceptions, however, like right now when he was buzzing and over exhausted. "Gotta go, boss lady. Talk to you later." He hung up just as Mac stopped struggling. In fact he went still so suddenly that it put Jack off balance so that he stumbled.

At which point Mac turned and stomped on Jack's foot.

"Dammit!" Jack howled, instinctively letting go of Mac and regretting it as the kid took off at a run. Ignoring the pain in his foot, Jack followed. Although he and MacGyver were going to talk about his bad behavior later. Once back on the street, Jack caught sight of Mac weaving in and out of the crowd of people, and he did his best to do the same. He didn't have to go far, nor was he all that surprised when the kid ducked into a pastry shop.

Putting on a burst of speed, Jack barreled into the shop after Mac. His friend was already at the counter, placing an order. Without hesitation, Jack grabbed MacGyver around the waist and started hauling him towards the door. He was thwarted in his attempt to get Mac outside when the kid grabbed on to the doorframe with both hands. He had really strong fingers.

"Let...go...of me!" MacGyver hissed, trying to twist away.

"You let go!" Jack shot back, struggling to pull him free. He felt eyes on him and he wasn't surprised the customers in the shop were watching the show they were putting on. "Come on, kid. You're making a scene." Doubling his efforts, he got one hand to let go, but Mac clung like a leech with the other one.

MacGyver was nothing if not tenacious and determined. He wanted his donuts. "You let go! I'm hungry and want my food!"

Jack sighed, but didn't let go. "I told you, Mac...I'll buy you anything you want to eat, so long as there's no sugar in it. Now...LET GO!" He planted himself to tug hard, not expecting the kid to actually listen. But MacGyver let go so fast that Jack stumbled back and almost fell.

Taking advantage of the opening, MacGyver elbowed Jack in the gut, smirking as his friend let out an *oof* and finally let go of him. Brushing down his shirt with one hand, smoothing his hair with the other, Mac strolled back over to the counter.

"Damn kid," Jack cursed under his breath, even as he moved to cut him off. "That's it!" he stated, as he stepped in front of Mac. "You are coming with me, right now. So let's go." He pointed to the door.

"Make me," MacGyver countered, not the least bit impressed with Jack's *so-called* authority. He crossed his arms over his chest and smirked at the other man as he waited.

Jack shrugged, knowing that he was about to piss MacGyver off, but he would deal with that fall out later. "Okay," he drawled. "If you say so." Before the kid could react, Jack lunged forward and pressed his shoulder into Mac's midsection, he then straightened up with the lanky body now folded over his shoulder and casually he turned and strolled out of the shop.

Mac struggled all the way, but with caution, because he didn't want to topple onto the side-walk. "Put me down, Jack!" he hissed. "Do you hear me?" It didn't seem likely, since the man just kept walking. "Put me down! NOW!"

"Not a chance, kid." Jack was amused by Mac's antics, and a bit annoyed. It was like trying to carry a giant, wriggling, worm. "I asked you nicely to leave the shop and you refused. Now...behave!" With that he delivered a sharp swat to MacGyver's posterior.

"Ow!" Mac squawked, indignantly. But, obediently, he went still. He was smart enough to know when he had crossed a line with Jack, and he did not want a repeat performance.

Grinning to himself as he strode along, Jack - metaphorically - patted himself on the back for winning this round. He glanced at street signs and realized he was going to the wrong way. So he did an about face and glanced at his watch. It would take about ten minutes to get back to the pick up point. Good thing MacGyver was so damn skinny. Jack repeated it out loud, knowing it would get a reaction from the kid, only to be greeted by silence. Which had to mean Mac was pouting.

Which amused Jack all the more. "Stop being a sore loser, bro. You're damn lucky I didn't video tape this, I'd have black mail material for decades." Jack nodded at a woman who was blatantly staring at them as he passed, then he glared at a kid who was about to take their picture. The kid put his phone down. "Come on, Mac. Don't be like that..." Jack broke off as he realized the kid had become a dead weight.

With perfect timing, Nikki drove up beside them with the van. Jack stepped off the curb and opened the side door, gently easing Mac inside. Jack chuckled as he stared at him. The kid was out like a light. It was a hard crash, but a surprisingly quiet one over all.

"What's wrong with Mac?" Nikki demanded, as she ran over to them.

"Nothing's wrong with him that twelve hours of sleep and a caffeine detox won't fix." Jack reached in to rearrange Mac into a more comfortable position and, reflexively, the kid curled up on his side.

Nikki grinned at the sight and pulled out her phone. "I have to have photographic evidence of this." Mac all curled up with his hair ruffled looked like a fluffy kitten.

Jack took his own picture, chuckling to himself. "Right now he looks closer to twelve than twenty-one."

"I'll tell him you said that when he wakes up," Nikki promised.

"Don't you dare!" Jack glared at her. "I thought we were friends?"

Nikki shrugged. "I don't think we're quite there yet. However, lucky for you, I am bribable."

Jack snorted. "Yeah, lucky for me. You ready to go home?"

"That I am and the plane will be ready in about two hours." There was a blanket in the corner and Nikki shook it out and covered MacGyver with it. She smoothed his hair off his forehead, then turned to face Jack. "Thornton called me on my way here and updated me about Choi and the whole incident. You should have told me, Jack."

"That's all on MacGyver." Jack was quick to throw the kid under the bus to defend himself. "I was all tied up, Nikki. Mac made the call to keep you out of the loop, but I think it was the right call." When she looked ready to snap at him he raised a hand to cut her off. "There's nothing you could have done. MacGyver is the only one who could deal with the riddles and the bomb and we were on a time table. All that matters is the outcome. We're alive and we're going home."

Nikki looked like she wanted to argue, but instead she looked at MacGyver then back at Jack and nodded. "You plan on going after Choi?"

Jack sighed. "He's my responsibility. He was going to let thousands of people die because of me."

"I get that." Nikki patted his shoulder. "Word to the wise, you'd better wait for Mac - or he'll make you sorry you didn't."

"I know that to be true," Jack allowed. "But he's going to be down and out for the next half day or so. I can't wait that long."

Nikki closed the side door, then opened the passenger one and pushed Jack inside. Crossing around the van she climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine. "You need to rest and re-energize as well, Jack. You know Choi is already heading out of the country. We'll go home and regroup, then we'll get that bastard. As a team."

Knowing she was right, there was nothing for Jack to do but agree. "Okay, we'll do that. But Choi is our next mission and Patty is just going to have to deal."

"I'll tell her you said that," Nikki teased.

"I don't think I like you anymore," Jack groused, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. He was beat.

At the next stoplight, Nikki took video of Jack snoring to add to her collection.

Eleven hours of sleep and a scalding hot shower later, MacGyver felt relatively human. He wasn't at all surprised to see Nikki and Jack at the kitchenette counter.

Jack smiled as Mac approached. "I have coffee and donuts," he offered.

"God no." The sight and smell of them made Mac a bit nauseous. He swore he could still feel the caffeine buzzing in his veins.

"Told you so," Nikki sing-songed to Jack before holding out a glass of orange juice to Mac. "I have a bag with cream cheese with your name on it."

Mac accepted the orange juice and took a swallow with a happy sigh. He was also grateful for the bagel. "You are a life-saver, Nikki. Thank you."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Don't be so over dramatic, kid. By this time tomorrow you'll be chugging down your coffee."

"Any word on Choi?" Mac asked, around a mouthful of bagel. He chose to ignore the coffee taunt, mainly because Jack wasn't wrong. The only way Mac would ever give up coffee is if he were dead.

"Nothing yet," Jack replied, and he wasn't happy about that. Glumly, he stared into his empty coffee cup.

MacGyver reached out, patting Jack on the arm. "We will find him, and I'll make sure you get to punch him at least once before they lock him up forever."

Jack felt his mood brightening, mainly because it was good to see Mac looking less like a walking zombie, and more like his old self. The banter was a sure sign he was feeling himself again. It didn't hurt that Jack knew the kid meant what he said, and that MacGyver always kept his promises. He grabbed Mac in a bear hug. "You will always be my favorite, you know that?"

"Get off," MacGyver grumbled, although he was smiling at Jack's antics. It was good to wake up and see his friend alive and well. Mac had slept so deeply that at first he hadn't dreamed at all, but at the end he'd had a few nightmares about Jack blowing up because Mac hadn't solved a riddle on time.

"Plane leaves in one hour," Nikki interjected, smiling at the horse-play and banter. "Everyone ready to go home?"

Jack raised his hand. "Me. I'm more than ready." He started clearing the counter of their breakfast mess. Easy enough to do since they were using paper cups and paper plates.

Mac snagged his bagel, he would eat on the go. "Let me grab my duffel and I'm ready." He retrieved the bag and found Nikki and Jack at the door, their own bags in hand, waiting for him. He gestured for them to head out, following on their heels. "Goodbye, Lisbon," Mac whispered, as he closed the door behind him.

"So, where do you want to go for your first legal drink," Jack asked, looping an arm around MacGyver's shoulders. "Strip club?"

"Beers at my place," Mac countered, elbowing his friend in the side. "And you're not getting me drunk, Jack," he insisted.

Heaving a dramatic sigh, Jack agreed. "Probably for the best. You are a light-weight."

MacGyver smirked. "That sounds like a challenge."

"Oh...it is," Jack confirmed. "Whatcha gonna do about it?"

"My Grandfather taught me how to drink." MacGyver was amused by the shocked looks on both Jack and Nikki's faces.

Jack seriously looked appalled. "Your Grandfather let you drink as a minor?"

Mac didn't go into detail, like explaining how everything he taught him was a life lesson of some kind. "He said it was a good skill to have when one had idiot friends." That wasn't exactly what his Grandfather had said, nor was that truly the lesson, but Jack didn't need to know that. Needless to say, Mac had been 17 and he'd drank until he was sick and hung over and he had vowed never to repeat to experience. Ever. His Grandfather had then taught him a trick to hold his liquor. A trick an Irishman had learned long ago that had been handed down for generations and had stood the test of time. Or so his Grandfather had told him.

"Did your Grandfather call me an idiot?" Jack countered, feeling decidedly offended.

"I think you just called yourself an idiot, idiot," Nikki replied, before Mac could.

Mac just shrugged. "Name your poison, Jack."

For Jack it was obvious. "Beer. I'll bring it." He thought for a moment. "We should bet."

"Sounds like a plan." Mac shook on it because he knew he was going to win.

"We'll figure out the details later," Jack decided. He wanted to take his time and come up with something good. They had reached the car and driver and he and Mac crawled into the back, letting Nikki have the front. "Thanks again, by the way," Jack said, as they settled in.

Mac frowned. "For what?"

Jack cocked an eyebrow at him. "You know for what. For saving my life. I owe you one."

"One?" Mac smirked. "You owe me way more than one." It was an ongoing game they played between them.

"I'm good for it." Jack held up his fist.

Mac fist-bumped him. "I know you are." And he took great comfort in the fact that Jack would always be there for him. "Besides that, I know where you live."

Jack chuckled then thumped the back of the drivers, seat. "Let's move out, bud." As they headed down the highway he leaned back in his seat, head turned to study Mac who had pulled out his phone and was playing some video game. Jack felt at peace. Mission accomplished.

MacGyver was safe.

THE END.


End file.
